Pencil sharpener



Oct. 18, 1932. wgT 1,883,217

PENCIL SHARPENER Filed July 3, 1951 2; H @fl Z1 go I Patented Oct. 18,1932 UNITED STATES HERMAN I. WITTSTEIN, OF NEW HAVEN,

PATENT? OFFICE CONNECTICUT, .ASSIGNOB TO THE ATLAS- PENCIL SHARPENERApplication filed July 3, 1931.

This invention relates to improvement in pencil sharpeners andparticularly to pencil sharpeners having removable and replaceableblades, though not so limited.

One of the main objects of my present invention is to provide, at a lowcost for manufacture, a simple, reliable and convenient sharpener,constructed with particular reference to avoiding choking or jamming bybroken leads, etc.

A further object of my invention is to provide a superior pencilsharpener which may employ a razor blade as its cutting implement, andconstructed with particular reference to securing the maximum servicefrom such blades.

Withthe above and other objects in View as will appear from thefollowing, my invention consists in a pencil sharpener having certaindetails of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafterdescribed and particularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation of a pencil i sharpener constructedin accordance with my invention and showing the removable casing thereofin section;

Fig. 2 is a View thereof in end elevation looking in the direction ofthe arrow A of Fig. 1 but with the casing removed;

Fig. 3 is a broken detail view in longitudinal section taken on the line33 of Fig. 1 but on a larger scale; s

Fig. 4 is atransverse sectional View taken on the line H of Fig. 1 butshown on the same scale as Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of the rotary blade-carrier andpencil-guide detached;

Fig. 6 is an edge view thereof; and

Fig. 7 is a broken detail sectional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 5.

The embodiment .of my invention herein chosen for illustration consistsof a revoluble combined pencil-guide and blade-carrier 10 formed at oneend with a cylindrical terminal 11 hearing in an opening 12 in a casing13 which is removably secured in any approved manner to asupporting-bracket 1 1 having a base-portion 15 by means of which SerialNo. 548,586.

avertical or horizontal surface.

The end of the combined guide-and-car rier 10 opposite its cylindricalterminal 11 is provided with a shank 16 bearing in a suitable bore in aboss 17 offsetting from the bracket 14 aforesaid. Adjacent the base ofthe shank 16 the member 10 is provided with an annular series ofgear-teeth 18 meshed into by a gear-wheel 19 mounted at the inner end ofa drive-shaft 20 rotating in a bore formed in a boss 21 ofisetting fromthe bracket 14 immediately above the-boss 17 before referred to. Theouter end of the drive-shaft 2.0 has secured to it a radially-extendingarm 22 carrying at its outer end a finger-but ton 23 in the well-knownmanner of pencil Sharpeners.

The cylindrical terminal 11 is formed axially wit-h a cylindricalchamber or socket 242, contracted at its inner end to form a coni calterminal 25 therefor and adapted to receive a lead pencil. The wall ofthe conical socket-terminal 25 is cut away as at 26- to permit thecutting-edge of a blade 27 to project into said chamber for engagementwith a pencil therein.

The combined pencil-guide and blade-car rier 10 is also provided with a.plate-like offset 28 having its blade-receiving face 29 inclined withrespect to theaxis of the member as a whole, and so located that thecuttingedge of the blade 27 projecting over the cutaway portion 26 ofthe Wall of the socketter1ninal25 will tangentially engage a pencil.

The inner end of the conical portion 25 of the chamberv or socket 24intersects a diametrical passage 80, into one side of which an extensionof the wall of the socket 25 eX- tends in the form of a lip 31,providing a quadrant-shaped seat 32 (Figs. 4 and 7) for the support ofthe pencil-lead and located adjacent the cutting-edge of the blade 27and facing substantially away from the inner face of the said blade, asclearly shown in Fig. 4: of the drawing and for the purpose as willhereinafter appear.

The plate-like offset 28 of the combined pencil-guide and blade-carrier10 is further provided with a pair of spaced blade-locating lugs 3333adapted to extend into the usual aligned central openings 3 134 formedin the blade 27 and between which the said plate is formed with athreaded bore 35 for the reception of the threaded inner end 36 of aknurled clamping-screw 37. V

The threaded stem 36 of the clamping screw 37 just above referred toalso passes through a central perforation 38 inra clamping-plate 39,preferably formed of sheetmetal and having its respective oppositesideedges 40-40 offset to engage the outer face of the blade 27 adjacentthe respective c'utting-edges thereof. The said clamping-plate isfurther provided, on either side of its central perforation 38, with apair of complementary perforations 414L1 registering with and fittingover the blade-locating lugs 33 before referred to.

By forming the clamping-plate 39 with the offset edges 40, its centrallongitudinal portion is correspondingly raised, and its under face thusmade concave. Therefore, when the plate is positioned with its edges 40hearing against the blade and the screw tightened, the centrallongitudinal portion of the plate will provide a relatively springybearing for the cap of the screw and will function as a lock or springwasher to prevent loosening of the screw under the influence ofchattering of the blade when in use, thus effectively maintaining theblade in fixed adjustment with relation to the combined pencilguide andblade-carrier 10.

Preferably, the blade-locating lugs .3333 are sufficiently smaller thanthe openings 3434 in the blade 27 to permit a slight movement of thelatter with reference to the said lugs, and to provide for accuratelygauging the degree to which the cutting-edge 0f the blade, will projectinto the cut-away por-' tion 26 of the wall of the conical socket 25, Iprovide, at the point of junction between theplate-like offset 28 andthe right-hand end of the body-portion of the combined guideand-carrier10, a rib-like abutment 42 which is engaged by the sharp inner edge ofthe blade for definitely locating the same, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that when the drive-shaft 20 isrotated by means of the offsetting-arm 22 and finger-button 23, it vwilleffect the rotation of the combined pencil-guide and blade-carrier 10through the intermediary of the gear 19 and the gear-teeth 18 formedupon the said combined guide-andcarrier, with the result that-the blade27 will be moved therewith and effect the gradual sharpening of thepencil as the same is forced inwardly through the open end of thecylindrical chamber or socket 24 in the terminal 11.

The sharpening operation will continue until the end of the lead of thepencil, in-

dicated for the purpose of illustration by the dotted lines 43 in Fig.5, strikes the wall of upon the lead thereof by the blade 27, as the,same is rotated, is received by the said seat 32 which, however, is sopositioned and so faced that in the event that a breakage occurs in thelead, the same may drop away from "the blade, through the opposite endof the transverse passage 30, and into the bottom of the casing 13without'jamming.

Preferably and as shown, the passage 30;

extends diametrically through the combined guide-and-carrier 10 at apoint adjacent the contracted end of the socket 25, so that ifconditions require, any suitable implement may be passed therethrough toforcibly remove any obstruction, though I wish to have it understoodthat the said passage will serve its major purpose if it merely providesan opening extending partway through the fixture to the side thereoftoward which the seat 32 partially faces.

It will be noted that the supporting means, such as the lugs 3333, areso located with respect to the clearance-cut 26 in the wall of theconical socket 25 that a blade, such as 27, may be reversed end for endto bring a fresh section of its cutting-edge into position forsharpening, and if, as usual, it is a double edge blade, it may bereversed side for side as well, and thus provide two additionalcutting-sections-four in all. Duringv each change of the blade, suchasjust described, the locating abutment 42 will serve to accuratelydetermine the proper location of the cuttingedge of the blade,regardless of what section thereof is beingused, and so minimizesthebreakage of the pencil-leads.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that my invention mayassume varied physical forms without departing from my inventiveconcept, and I, therefore, do not limit myself to the specificembodiments herein chosen for illustration, but only as indicated in theappended claims. I I claim V 1. A pencil sharpener. having a rotaryblade-carrier provided with an axial pencilreceiving socket and formedwith a transverse passage extending therethrough from side to sideadjacent the inner end of the said penoil-receiving socket which itintersects to permit the forcible lateral expulsion of broken leads,shavings and dust; a blade positioned to engage and sharpen a pencil asthe same is moved axially into the said socket; and a seat extendingpart way into the said transverse,

end of a pencil therein against the thrust of the said blade.

2. A pencil sharpener having a rotary blade-carrier provided with aconical pencilreceiving socket and formed with a clearancepassageopening laterally from the smaller end of the said conicalpencil-receiving socket; a blade positioned to engage and sharpen apencil as the same is moved axially into the said socket; and alead-supporting seat extending part way into the said lateralclearance-passage in position to support the sharp ened end of a penciltherein against the thrust of the said blade.

3. A pencil sharpener having a rotary blade-carrier provided with anaxial pencilreceiving socket; a double-edged blade carried by the saidblade-carrier in position to engage and sharpen a pencil as the same ismoved axially into the said socket; a clamp ing-plate provided with aconcave under-face by having its respective opposite edges offset tobear upon the said blade adjacent the respective opposite cutting-edgesthereof; and screw-means extending through the said clamping-plate andblade for securing the latter to the said blade-carrier, the concaveformation of said plate serving to exert a resilient locking effect uponsaid screw.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

HERMAN L. WITTSTEIN.

